First Kiss
by Kstewsthighs
Summary: Two strangers. One kiss. A new beginning. OOC AH.
1. Chapter 1

**You've all seen the video, right? I mean THE video. With the kissing and the strangers and the sexual tension screaming at you through your screen? Ok good.**

**This is my vision of events.**

**This hasn't been beta'd in the slightest so I'm sorry.**

**There may be a continuation. Who knows.**

**Enjoy. Sigh. Review. Share.**

**Disclaimer - I only own the words.**

* * *

"It is going to be fun, I promise. You said you needed to do something crazy before you kissed your thirties goodbye and I can't think of anything crazier than this, can you?"

Alice was beaming at me from the passenger seat of the rental we'd just picked up. She was right, I wanted to do something crazy and this certainly ticked all the boxes. But I still wasn't sold on the whole idea. Anxiety was racing its way through my veins, my palms hot and clammy as I drove us deeper into the city.

"Where is this place anyway?" I should have known better than to leave her in charge of directions, but I needed a distraction and driving seemed to be the only way to achieve it right now.

"Um… just off of Beverly Drive. Somewhere around Wilshire, I think." She thinks. I cocked an eyebrow at her only to be met with a shrug. It seemed I was going to have to trust her on this one.

* * *

"_Bella? Bella? BELLAAAAAAAA?" I rolled over onto my side, a finger quickly increasing the volume on my iPod. The last thing I needed right now was another confrontation with Alice. Work had sucked all day for me. Jacob wouldn't stop following me around the office, hinting over and over again that he may have been responsible for the valentine I'd received a few weeks ago. I was tired. I was hurt that it was Jacob and I was hurting that Jacob wasn't enough for me._

"_Look, bitch, stop fucking ignoring me!" Letting out a groan I sat up to face her. She'd already yanked my headphones away from me, bouncing at the end of my bed. Someday's living with her felt like having a pet dog you just didn't have the energy to walk anymore. But I couldn't tell her that._

"_Look, A, I've had a really long day. I just want to wallow for a while. Just let me get some sleep."_

"_But you need to see this."_

"_No."_

"_Yes."_

"_No."_

"_You know I won't leave this room until you take a look. You won't regret it in a million years." With a frown, I grabbed at the piece of paper she was waving around in my face. I looked at the picture but didn't take any of the words in. "You said you wanted to do something crazy before the big Three-Oh and this is as crazy as it gets Bells."_

_I looked at the ad a little closer. A social experiment. Strangers. Kissing. _

"_You can't be fucking serious Alice?"_

"_We leave on Saturday morning."_

* * *

I keep looking at the people around me. He could be one of them. My guy might not even show up. He may take one step inside this place, come to the conclusion he's being an idiot and leave.

I've brushed my teeth twice. I've chewed so much gum I'm lucky I'm not making frequent visits to the ladies room. Alice is quiet. She's enjoying herself. She can just sit in the corner of any busy room and soak up everyone around her.

I'm not like that. I'm clamming up. The lights are too bright. I need to breathe.

* * *

The first thing I notice are his shoes.

Converse. Ripped. Dirty. Big feet.

The light is brighter than I'd like, my hair falling in front of my face like a curtain. A shield. I take a deep breath, forcing my eyes to move away from his shoes.

Jeans. Ripped at the knees but in an intentional way hang low on his hips, hands stuffed into his pockets. Big hands. Artistic hands. A white t-shirt that just about meets the top of his belt, exposing a little skin.

Arms. Defined. Sun-kissed. Strong. The shirt is crisp and tight across his chest. Neck. Exposed.

And then his face. Defined. A jaw that could have been chiseled by Michelangelo himself. Hair that looks like he just rolled out of bed looking like this, shimmering copper beneath the bright light.

But its his eyes. Piercing and green. They make me shudder. He's looking at me, breathing in every inch of me with his eyes. I feel them move over me again and again. It makes me feel small and insignificant standing here with him. I'm plain. Pretty, but plain. And the man in front of me is from an entirely different world than mine.

"The camera's running, so whenever you two want to start it's ready. Just take your time. Enjoy the moment."

I'd forgotten we weren't alone, and I barely register what's being said because as soon as the words are spoken that's it, we are alone again. I can't see past the man with the green eyes.

* * *

Fingers brush mine.

Light and faint touches that barely register and yet set my entire body on fire. I shake, wanting more but too afraid to take it. _"Let him take the lead." _the last words from Alice echo again and again in my mind.

I'm being pulled forward. My eyes have been closed for what feels like a lifetime now. I couldn't look at him anymore, it was almost painful. Hips against hips. My left thigh caught slightly between both of his, my chest pressing closer to him.

Lips. Moist. Wanting. Needing.

The world continued to spin on its never ending course around the sun.

Stars imploded.

Galaxies formed.

Life began.

Loved ones were mourned for and lost.

Cars slammed their breaks. Work runs. School runs. Coffee runs. Shopping runs.

All of this was happening but I was trapped in this moment. I never wanted that second hand to slip. I didn't want the tick tock of time. I wanted to lock myself into this for an eternity.

And time stopped moving for me the second his lips brushed mine.

Hands in hair. His teeth scraping against mine. My mouth devouring his as if it was the last thing I would ever do on this earth.

Nothing had ever made me feel more alive. The sound of his soft grunts as my teeth caught his top lip. My low moans at his hips moving against mine in a soft rhythm to music only we could hear.

My mind began to run wild with questions. Important questions. Inane questions.

Why was he doing this? Is this the sort of thing he's into? Did a friend put him up for this, just as Alice had with me?

Who was his first kiss and what did it mean to him? Does he have brothers and sisters? Can he drive stick?

Question after question came popping up. Most people would know the answers to these even before they shared a first kiss.

_I was most people._

It seemed like only human nature to me, this need to be aware of every little detail about another person. A person you had to connect with on such an emotional level.

Another hair tug. More. I needed more. I wanted green eyes to consume me. To take me apart piece by piece and put me together again.

I remembered something my mom had once told me. Love isn't the coming together of two bodies. It's the coming together of two souls.

And in this moment, with a man who's name I hadn't even asked, I believed her.

* * *

"That's a wrap guys, thanks. We got some great footage. You two were certainly the hottest."

Shame. Guilt. Anger. Sorrow.

I was cocooned in every emotion. Loss. The second his body pulled away from mine I felt a loss that I'd never known. I had everything I ever needed, and just like that it was taken away from me.

I couldn't look at him. I wanted to, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I was never going to see him again and I doubted anything could ever feel that way.

* * *

"Bella… Hey, Bella! Wait up!" I didn't recognize the voice, it sounded like honey dripping from a spoon. But then how could I? He never spoke a word. Never gave his name up. And I couldn't blame him. I never asked. I managed to mumble my name and that was all I could get my body to do.

I spin around on my heels, people flooding past me. It's the end of a work day. Offices are emptying. People are rushing home to something. _Someone._

It's him. He has a piece of paper and before I know it he's gone and it's in my hand.

A number. A name. A future.

Edward Cullen.

* * *

**Leave some love, ok?**


	2. Chapter 2

**So it looks like I'm going to be carrying on with this, but the chapters aren't going to be essay length. I'm not sure where it will take us and for how long for, but eh. Let's just enjoy it.**

**I can't make promises on an update schedule, me and the lovely Beautifuldecay are already working on a collab, but I won't leave you guys hanging. I promise.**

**This has by no means been beta'd at all. Sorry.**

**Disclaimer - I only own the words.**

* * *

_**"Don't say that this didn't hurt**_

_**I've cried all night**_

_**And now is your turn"**_

_**Hannah Cohen - Don't Say.**_

* * *

It has been one hundred fifty seven hours and twenty three minutes.

That is five hundred, sixty six thousand, five hundred and eight seconds

Roughly sixty million, four hundred fifty two thousand, three hundred and ten new lives starting in this world. And all of this has passed since I first sent that message into the void. I did the math. I needed the distraction.

"_Edward, this is Bella. We met the other day. Just thought that I would drop you a line."_

Delete.

Re-type.

Too formal. Too needy. Too keen. Casual. Not casual. I typed and re-typed the same message for what felt like a thousand different times.

I was about to delete the last one when Alice, sick with the chore of watching me struggle, managed to wrestle my phone from me. Texts are the devil incarnated. They aren't like a tweet or a status update. There is no edit option once you hit send.

There is no longer a delete option.

One hundred fifty seven hours and twenty three minutes have gone past with no reply.

I sit and I wait. Alice comes and goes. She leaves me take-out. She has noticed that I haven't been eating properly. I am in mourning. I am mourning something that never was but could have been.

The video went viral a few days ago, apparently. I cannot bring myself to watch it. Either those who know me don't recognise it is me in one of the scenes, or they haven't seen it. No one talks to me about it. Not even Alice. And I know she has seen it.

_Fingers as light as air. Lips that burned like the sun._

I cannot escape from it. I cannot move forward. I go through the motions of life, but I am absent from it. I am an observer, no longer a participant.

It scares me that something so small can have such an impact on my life. Alice feels guilt. I feel nothing but shame.

* * *

I wake up. I touch myself. I shower. I touch myself. I fall into bed at the end of a long day. I touch myself. Burning lips and burning skin. I imagine it over and over again. He is inside of me. He is outside of me. Strong hands that guide me, tease me and take me to where I need to be.

I bring a hand down the front of my body in the only way I can imagine him using his. Hard yet soft. Rough but gentle. Firm and knowing.

I have never known orgasms like it. I almost take up smoking again.

I cannot get off without green eyes anymore. It is impossible.

* * *

"I got them to put a double shot in for you, you certainly look like you could do with it, Bella."

I smile softly at Jake when he hands me over the coffee. He is worried about me, I can see it in his eyes and the furrow of his brows whenever he comes into my office to check on me. Which has been a lot lately.

"Thanks Jake, I owe you one. I am almost done with this weeks edits. I will leave them with Leah before I leave tonight."

"Just don't push yourself too hard. You are pretty vital to this place, don't ever forget that."

I nod at him, still smiling softly as he leaves me alone. I lied. The edits had barely been started and I would have to do more than pick up my pace if I wanted them gone by six tonight.

I clicked open the browser on my computer and hit refresh. Again. There was nothing new to see. Nothing since the last update on the morning we met for the first and only time:

**Edward Cullen**

5th April

Crazy Day!

19 likes

No comments. Just likes. I was curious. I was going crazy. I was sleep deprived. Alice had made me promise not to go so far as to stalk all of the people that had liked this update. A promise that I had managed to keep. Sure I was being borderline sociopath, but I wasn't that bad. Right?

* * *

A month has passed and Alice is slowly bringing me out of the depression that I had let envelope me like a blanket. She is patient. She is understanding. She is my rock and I have moved on from trying to place all of the blame onto her.

She would have had no way of knowing just how far reaching the actions of that day were going to be. How could I continue to make her feel responsible for everything?

Stepping outside of our apartment block I noticed that spring had begun to take it's grip on Seattle. Tulips were beginning to bloom. Couples and families decided to risk being caught out in showers whilst having picnics in the cities parks. Spring was always a new beginning and I was trying with all my might to make this true for me as well.

Stepping into the coffee shop I take a quick glance around. Blonde hair, shaggy and unruly, a couple of years older than me and sitting closest to the window. That's what I was looking out for. "Bella?" I turn around at the sound of my voice. He's there. Just like Alice said he would be. I duck shyly into the seat opposite him, not knowing how I should be acting. Blind dates are a new experience to me.

"James? Hi, its good to finally meet you. Alice has told me a lot about you." I smile. It's routine. My heart doesn't feel it. But she had told me a lot about him. Single. Dependable. Architect. Something solid. Something to ground me. He returns my smile, slowly pushing a drink towards me.

"Hope you don't mind, I took the liberty of ordering you something. If it isn't right, I can just go change it for you." Nerves? He seemed a little nervous to me. His hand shook a little when I took the drink from him.

"This is perfect, thank you. Do you come here a lot?"

And so it begins. We sit and talk for most of the afternoon. It's easy and light and I feel a little refreshed having someone new to talk with. He tells me about his latest work, a new build not far from my apartment. He offers to show me some day. He talks about his family, two sisters both parents still together. I give little detail about mine. I feel guilty for not calling Charlie for almost a month. Renee probably has yet to notice she hasn't called me for almost six months.

He is charming and sweet, walking me to the start of my block. He asks to see me again and I agree.

I needed to move on with my life.

* * *

James has taken me on three dates. Alice is alive with glee. I try to share her enthusiasm but I barely feel it. I feel like I am using him. Using him to fix me, to make it all better. The shame never goes away. But I am trying and slowly with time I know I will be able to give myself to him.

"Are you with me? I need more." We have just finished dinner. He paid. Again. He has his hands pressing against my hips, lips and teeth scraping along the base of my neck. I'm not with him. I'm with green eyes. I try to pretend, squeezing my eyes tightly shut. I can almost taste him.

He has me against the wall along the alley, pressing harder and harder until I can barely breathe. Zips are pulled. Shirts are pushed. I don't want this. Not here, not like this. I try to tell him to stop, but the words won't leave me. A grunt, a push. And then I start to say no. No I don't want this. Please stop.

"Come on Bella, you like me. Just this once." His grip has softened a little, but it is still there. I shake my head. He lets go of me then, taking a step back. "I don't know what the fuck is wrong with you sometimes. You give me these signals and then this happens. What the fuck is your problem?"

I want to tell him, but I can't. I concentrate on pulling my shirt back down and then I let it all out, screaming at him.

"Just get off me and leave me alone, please I don't want this. Just stay away." I am screaming the words. I feel him push me against the wall again. But we aren't that deep along the alley. People are walking by. Some of them look and keep going. Most of them don't even notice.

"You want me to stay the fuck away, huh?" I wonder then what happened to the charming guy buying me coffee. This isn't him. This is a stranger. "What if I don't?"

"Just get the fuck off of me now." I push against him, but he's gone. Where he was is nothing but air.

"She said, get the fuck off, man." I look up and someone else is there, slamming him against the opposite wall. He has James by the throat, but I can't hear the words that are being spoken into his ear. I grab my coat and my bag, looking each way for the fastest escape route. If I can leave fast enough, they might just finish each other off.

And I'm running. Heels banging against the sidewalk. I stumble but keep going. I need Alice. I hear a shout to stop. To wait. Something inside me tells me to listen. I slow my pace, still trying to get my coat back on properly. Leaning against a shop window I count to ten and try to get my breathing back together. My legs shake. My lips tremble.

"Hey, everything's ok. Did you know him?" That voice. It's the voice I've been trying to forget. A hand reaches out and pulls the hair away from my face. "I just wanted to check…"

I take a quick look up before my legs finally give way.

It is him. Green eyes has found me.

* * *

**Eh. Share and stuff. **


	3. Chapter 3

**Back again. Short. Cliffy-ish. You know the drill.**

**Again, not bet'ad. Sorry.**

**Enjoy. Share. Leave some love.**

**Disclaimer - I only own the words.**

* * *

_**"Cause we don't need daylight **_

_**And I wouldn't mind**_

_**If you stayed the night"**_

_**Abby Bernstein - Spend the Night.**_

* * *

"Would you believe me, if I told you just how sorry I was?" Yes. No. Maybe I would.

"I don't need your pity." A small hiss escapes my lips and I twist myself to move away from his hand. I bashed my left knee up pretty bad when I fell and Edward had brought me back to my apartment and insisted on cleaning it with some alcohol. Seemed like rather a waste of vodka to me. Luckily, Alice was fast asleep in bed. She was the last person I needed to come up against right now.

"That is not what I am talking about." I shrug, gritting my teeth as he rubs a cotton pad across my knee. I try to ignore the electricity running through my body each time he touches me. I try to push back the urge I have to lean forward and nuzzle my face between his neck and shoulder.

"There is nothing to be sorry for." I lie. I want him to be sorry. I want him to feel like somehow this has all been his fault. He gently pats my leg, letting me know that he has finished. I should offer him a drink or a snack, something to show my appreciation. But I don't. "How are you even here?"

The question hangs between us both like a cloud. It was burning through my mind. Why him? Why tonight? He takes a step back, leaning against the counter opposite me. I notice how tired he looks and his face is covered in at least a week's stubble. I wonder what it would feel like to have him kiss me like that. I quickly shake the thought away.

"I have been in town for a few weeks. Work stuff mostly. That's one of the reasons I didn't answer… you know, your text." I shrug. He talks like I might have forgotten all about it. Nothing could be further from the truth, but I try not to let it show. "I was at a party and I needed some air. I just keep thinking if I hadn't… If I'd gone the other way…"

I let out a small shudder. I try to convince myself that James couldn't have gone any further than he already had, that he didn't have the ability to do such a thing. He had seemed so normal and I had trusted him.

"What did you say to him?" I start going through the refrigerator. I don't know what it is that I am looking for but I cannot look at him and I cannot think about what happened. I start to rearrange everything in sight, neat lines. Lines that I can control and I know won't fight back.

"I told him that if I ever saw him again, or that if you ever saw him again that I'd kill him."

He says it so matter of fact. And I believe him. My body tingles all over, at the thought that he would be prepared to ever do that. I want to feel disgusted that he would. I want to feel like he would do that for anyone. But I don't. I can't. It is for me, that is what I want to believe.

"I don't think that's going to be an option that will ever arise. Trust me." It was true, Edward would never get the chance to see his promises through, Alice would see to that.

"That maybe so, but I still mean every word of it. What were you doing with a guy like that? What were you thinking?"

I suddenly snap then, slamming the refrigerator shut so hard I can hear something smash as it closes. Turning around, I see that he's almost behind me.

"What the fuck does that mean? You think I knew that he was like that? That I just chose to follow him down that alley knowing exactly what he was going to do? That I knew what he was capable of?" I was seething. Blood rushed to my head, the sound vibrating between my ears.

"That's not what I meant, fuck Bella... Fuck." He ran his hands through his hair, tugging it hard, trying to explain himself away.

"I know exactly what you meant. I think you should leave. In fact, I think you should leave right now."

"I'm not going anywhere. You're probably suffering from shock. I'm not leaving you like this." He was right. I probably was suffering. I can't fight him right now. If he won't leave then so be it.

"I hope you enjoy the couch. I'm off to bed." I leave him staring at me, his jaw locked in obvious frustration at my outburst, and make my way to bed, refusing to look back as I leave.

* * *

I turn and check the clock on the nightstand. It is barely four in the morning. If I have slept at all, I don't know about it.

I cannot stop thinking about what happened in the alley.

_The grip of his hands against my hips._

_The feel of his breath against my neck._

I shake, cocooning myself inside the covers of my bed. I had taken the clothes off I had been wearing, placing them in a black sack. I would destroy every single piece in the morning and move on from this.

I try to think about Alice and what her reaction will be in the morning if she wakes to find Edward on the couch. She will want to know what's happened and that would mean explaining it all to her. Something I wasn't ready to do.

Slipping out of bed, I pull a t-shirt on over my underwear before quietly tip toeing my way out of my room towards the living room.

He's awake and sitting up on the couch, the light from the room catching and radiating him in a heavenly like glow. He looks up at the sound of me standing in the doorway.

I don't need to speak. I don't need to tell him that I need him. He just knows. I turn away and he follows me silently back to my room. I slip back under the covers and close my eyes. I can hear him removing his shoes before I feel him next to me.

He doesn't touch me, he just lies beside me. And it is the last thing I remember before I fall asleep.

* * *

Six days have gone by and Edward sleeps next to me each night. He sneaks in once Alice is asleep and leaves before she wakes. We don't speak. I don't ask questions and neither does he.

Something connected us that night, but it is not something either of us is comfortable to discuss with each other. I have pushed it all to the back of my mind and I am moving on. I was jumpy at first but I refuse to let something like that ruin my life.

I move onto my side, opening my eyes. The light from outside is bouncing shadows around Edward's face. I watch him. His breaths are slow and deep. But I know he's still awake.

"You can come under the covers, you look cold." I whisper into the dark.

I watch as the ghost of a smile plays across his face.

"I was starting to wonder if you would ever speak to me again. And I don't snuggle under covers with girls I haven't taken on a date."

He looks serious, but his voice is telling me he's making light of the situation.

"Is that your way of asking me?"

"Would you?"

I frown. The entire situation is ridiculous, that he would doubt my answer.

"Yes."

"Good. I'll give you a call sometime."

I roll my eyes, watching him grin in the darkness.

"What made you do the video?" I watch as a rush of air leaves his body. It's a loaded question, one that should have been asked right at the start.

"It was research. But I'm glad that I did it. What about you?"

"Alice had a lot to do with it. What does it have to do with research?" I am beyond curious. It wasn't an answer I was expecting and I have no idea what to make of his small revelation.

"I'll tell you over dinner tomorrow night. Now get some sleep."

I know from his answer that he won't give up any more information tonight. Suddenly I feel nervous. He's spent every night this week in my bed, beside me. One of the most intimate things you can do with another person.

I have a date with the man sleeping next to me and I have never felt nerves like it before.

* * *

**I hope everyone is enjoying this. Let me know :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you for all of your kind words of encouragement, here and on the twittah. It does mean a lot. Sending you all first kisses' :)**

** Short n' sweet but still a treat. FYI I hate dialogue. Dialogue is the worstest of worst. **

**Happy St. Patrick's Day to those of you that celebrate. Or to those that generally like the idea of green things and poor decisions. **

**Thank you to the amazing dowlingnana. Any mistakes are mine and not hers!**

**Read. Let me know your thoughts. Share.**

**Disclaimer - I only own the words.**

* * *

_**"Why are you so far away?" she said **_

_**"Why won't you ever know that I'm in love with you**_

_** That I'm in love with you" **_

_**The Cure - Just Like Heaven**_

* * *

Edward was true to his word. He showed up at 7pm exactly to take me out to dinner. Luckily I had found the balls to tell Alice everything this morning before questions were asked when he showed up. She was mad, which was understandable. I had allowed a practical stranger to share our apartment for almost an entire week without her knowing. She was pissed. And then I dropped the James bombshell. I had only just finished picking up the last pieces of shattered glass when he showed up. She was seriously pissed.

"Hey." He smiles as I open the door, holding out an arm for me to take. I grab a hold of my purse, slamming the door quickly. It sounded like Alice was about half a minute away from starting another tirade, this time directed at Edward.

Walking down to the street in silence, I tried to steal as many unnoticeable glances at him as I could, ignoring the knot of nerves building slowly inside me. His beard was still growing, but it looked like he was trying to control it.

"I don't like it." I whisper, watching as he opens the passenger door of a rental car for me.

"I didn't have much choice in the ride, but I'll be sure to let the rental company know just how disgruntled my date was." I roll my eyes, belting up as he plays with the ignition.

I had almost forgotten just how beautiful his hands were.

"I'm talking about the facial hair, dummy." He smiles at me then, and it is undoubtedly one of the most glorious things I have ever seen. It reaches his eyes and they light up. His smile is real and that's probably why it means so much when he does it. I can't help but smile back.

"You like Italian, right?" I nod. He asks like it's something I've told him before and he's simply forgotten when it isn't. "And the beard? This is just something I do. It isn't permanent, but I felt like it was necessary for a while. Do you give away all your secrets straight away?"

He offers me a small smile and I know it is his way of telling me not to ask any more about it. I can't lie and say it doesn't hurt me a little, but he has a point. I shake my head, and the nerves that had begun to subside slowly make their way back. Spidery tendrils that make their way through my veins and begin pulling my chest in tight.

I sit back, trying to enjoy the ride he's taking me on through the city. He won't tell me where it is that we are going, but insists that I'm going to love it. Apparently he goes all the time when he's in town. However much that is, he won't say. He's guarded, and yet, open at the same time. His expressions show more emotions than I knew were possible, but half the time his answers shut me down straight away.

After about ten minutes of silence, he pulls off into an alley and shuts the ignition down. My nervousness peaks and then ebbs when he takes my hand and kisses it lightly on the back. Feathery and light. Reassuring.

He refuses to let me open the passenger door myself, making me wait as he makes his way around, holding it open for me. Keeping a hand lightly on the small of my back he leads me into the street. I feel a little overdressed next to him, during one of her calmer moments Alice had managed to squeeze me into a knee length black dress and some kitten heels. Edward is wearing slightly worn jeans and a hoodie, the hood pulled up like he's trying desperately to hide something from the world.

"You look delectable tonight." The whisper in my ear sends shivers down my spine and I can feel his smile against my hair, like he's somewhat proud of my reaction to him.

"Ass" I mutter under my breath, but his chuckle tells me I wasn't quite enough.

* * *

The restaurant is light and airy and the maître d spends far too long staring into Edward's eyes. I bite back the primitive growl that is forming in my chest. He leans in and whispers something to her; she nods in acknowledgement and leads us both to a booth at the back.

She lingers. I glare. Edward seems oblivious to the entire encounter and seems to have forgotten she is even there, instead concentrating deeply on the menu. After glaring at her for a few more seconds she takes the hint and slowly slinks away, a slight pout playing on her lips.

"They do amazing cozze spaghetti." I smile, placing my menu over his. We both order the same. There is no lingering this time; she seems to have realized Edward is paying her no attention as he plays with one of my hands over the table.

"So, you live in LA but you're working here?" I play with the straw that came in my cocktail. I decided to order something fun. I wanted to show that I can do fun. I can't always be the broken girl with a grazed knee.

"Uh-huh. And you work for a publishing house." He says it matter of fact, but I don't recall ever telling him what I did for a living. I frown.

"How did you know?"

"I bumped into Alice on Tuesday morning. She was getting up for a run and we got to talking. She made me swear not to tell you, something about punishing you for letting a stranger stay." I frown at him. "She thinks we were doing it." He whispers across the table and I cannot help the giggle and blush that escape me.

I want to push him, to find out more of his secrets, but, something inside is stopping me. Telling me that each time I dig, he will only push me a little further back. I'm interrupted from probing further anyway when our food arrives. And he was right, the spaghetti is incredible.

We continue to question each other over our meals. I find out about his childhood but give very little away about mine. His stories are so vivid that I almost feel like I was a part of them all. He tells me of the times he and his brother, Emmett, would raid his dad's secret stash of weed and get high on the roof terrace. About the times he would skip classes to go and read comic books.

With every story I could feel myself falling a little deeper and a little faster in love with this man.

* * *

"Hey, um, I'm sorry to bother you man, but, could I just take a quick picture?" I look at the scrawny teen talking to Edward. His iPhone is out and he is motioning towards it excitedly. Edward consents, allowing him to quickly snap a selfie next to his face before he scurries off, waving over to his waiting family.

I push my dessert bowl away, completely dumbfounded.

"Are you going to tell me what the hell that just was?"

I wait for a reply whilst he puts his hand up, calling 'Stary Mcstaringson' back over and asking for the check. He pays, leaving what can only be described as an extortionate tip. No wonder she was giving him the flirt eyes all night.

I am still waiting for an answer when we near the doors. Edward rummages through the pockets of his hoodie, pulling out a pair of shades and hands them to me.

"Edward, its darker out there than that scruff on your face right now, I don't need these." I try handing them back to him but he takes the glasses with a sigh, tucking the hair behind both of my ears as he places them onto my face.

Leaning in, he whispers to me before holding the door open. "Bella Swan, would you believe me if I told you I was a superstar?"

And with that I understand the need for the glasses. The most unimaginable scene unfolds in front of me. Grabbing a hand of mine he pulls me along the sidewalk, urging me to move a little faster than I already am. I'm too busy being in a state of complete shock.

Bulbs flash in his face, and then mine. People are pushing and shouting. His grip tightens around my hand, our pace picks up.

Shouts of "Who is she, Edward?" echo all around me. They want to know who I am. Why should they care?

We finally make it back to the rental and climb in. Edward pulls out of the alley slowly and I resist the urge of encouraging him to run over a few feet when he does.

* * *

"You really had no idea?" He had managed to lose everyone that was following us, it took a while but he was determined not to have anyone show up at my building.

I shake my head, still feeling confused by the entire situation. I pinch my hand again and I have determined that none of it was a dream.

"You mean you haven't seen 'Before You'? Or, 'Lucky Sevens'?" He raises an eyebrow at me in slight disbelief.

"Edward I have no fucking clue what you're on about. Are these kids TV shows or something? Are you a presenter?"

He laughs and then leans forward to cup my face. His hands are warm and soft. A breath gets caught in my chest. His eyes are blazing into mine and I half wish I was still wearing his shades, anything to offer some protection from his gaze.

"I have never met anyone like you, Bella."

I nod and mutter an uh-huh, all ability to form a coherent sentence has been lost in this moment.

Leaning towards me, his lips meet mine. This is the first time we've kissed since that day, and my reaction is just as powerful as it was then.

It is slow and tentative. There is no reason to rush this time. I groan into his mouth, his teeth gently tugging at my bottom lip, hips pressing hard into mine. Hair pulls and grinding, he has me pressed against the wall of my building, a hand digging hard against my hip. But it's a good hard, and it's a good press. His breaths are hot against mine and I never want him to stop kissing me like this.

I run a hand down his spine, pulling him as close as he can get.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I'm murmuring into his kisses, hoping to finally get some answers.

"I didn't want to ruin the moment." He pulls back, running a thumb across my cheek. "Anonymity, when I can get it, is a rare gift. And you gave that to me." He ducks down, leaving a slow and lingering kiss.

"Will you stay tonight?" My question is breathy with want and he answers with another kiss.

* * *

**This is by far the lightest chapter. But don't get complacent. He's a superstar and they don't come easily. **

**You can find me on the twittah. I tweet about my need for more socially awkward Edwards. **

**As always, let me know your thoughts :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey guys, this is most likely to be the last chapter for this story. It was never intended to be continued anyway, and I would like to leave it before I completely lose control and ruin it all. **

**Plus, I'm working on a longer fic at the moment that I don't intend to start posting until at least a bulk of it is completed, so add me to your alerts if you love summer, the 1980's, a Bella that won't be walked all over and angst. Beautiful teenage angst.**

** This hasn't been beta'd so please forgive me. Thanks for reading this guys, it truly means a lot to me! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**"Look, all I know is that you're the nicest thing I've ever seen**

** And I wish that we could see if we could be something"**

** Kate Nash – Nicest Thing**

* * *

Warm and needing hands slowly encase my exposed waist.

His kisses are warm and hot along the side of my neck and I cannot help but curve my body back against his.

Edward is staying and I haven't felt this happy in a long time. We laughed and talked about me having no idea who he even was on our way up. He explained we only met because he was researching for a new role. I tried to hide my embarrassment but he seemed to enjoy being a mystery to me. Everything is new for us both and we know that the future won't be easy, but decide to enjoy what we can whilst we can.

And that's how I find myself being slowly undressed by him. His hands are tentative but I can feel his desire to explore every inch of my skin.

I turn on my heels to face him, guiding him slowly back towards my bed. Slow kisses against my lips soon turn into more.

Primeval grunts.

His teeth, pulling at my lips.

I run my hands down the expanse of his back, feeling each muscle contract beneath my touch. Fingers brush my skin and set me alight.

"You're so beautiful."

His whispers echo all around me.

I feel beautiful.

He makes me beautiful.

Warm skin against warm skin, I ache for more.

I am exposed to him now, but I don't feel vulnerable. I feel appreciated in a way I have never known.

His moist lips trail across my bare chest, missing the areas I need him most. I feel him, hard against me. Hips grinding in a rhythm only we seem to know.

His mouth continues on its tour of my body as I tremble beneath him.

I crave more.

I will always crave more.

His tongue is on me and I arch back, arm across my face to stop me from crying out when all I want to do is scream his name.

I want him to stop. I want him to continue.

_Kisses. _

_Sucks. _

_Nibbles. _

It almost becomes too much for me to handle. My entire body shakes above him as I quickly come undone, my soft moans carrying through the air with his.

Before I can catch my breath again he is inside me.

_ Consuming me_.

I lace my fingers through his hair, my thighs working to pull him impossibly close as we rock against each other in the dark.

I feel myself peak again and again around him but we don't stop.

_I never want it to stop._

* * *

The warmth of the sun cocoons me like a warm blanket, its rays hitting me through the window and lighting up the man next to me.

I am awake and for once, Edward is still here.

He will always be here.

Whatever obstacles we have to face, we will face them together now. I curl my body back around his, soft breathing against my ear.

_I love you._

I think to myself.

* * *

**Sorry it's such a short one guys. I did consider carrying on, but I just couldn't stand the thought of ruining this. **

**Let me know your thoughts.**


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